Necktie



o. OSTANTINI 2,040,297

NECKTIE I Filed Jan. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

- z ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR. aasl'aniin i,

o. COSTANTINI NECKTIE Filed Jan. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oresfa BY 2 Y4 Z ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates tomens neckwear and relates particularly toneckties of the four-inhand variety.

Neckties of the four-in-hand type become soiled 5 and first show wear atthe upper edge portion particularly at the neck while the other part ofthe necktie remains unsoiled. Many persons are unable to tie the knot,and the pulling of the material into small knots, which fashiondictates, causes the tie to become so mussed, worn, and soiled as to beworthless in a short time. It is a purpose of my invention to make anecktie having a knot which need not be tied and untied, thuseliminating wear and tear upon the tie.

5 It is another object of my invention to make a necktie that has beencut from three or four pieces a of the same material. This provides aneconomical manner of manufacturing neckties.

Another object of my invention is to'produce a tie so simple in itsadjustment that even a child can place the tie about his neck and removethe tie without assistance.

A further object of my invention is to manufacture a ready-made tie toresemble in appearance a necktie which is formed by the user.

A further object of my invention is to construct a tie that is alwaystied, whichis as pleasing in appearance to the eye as a tie that isnewly made each timethe user wears the tie, and which does not have theappearance of a ready-made tie of the four-in-hand type.

A further object of my invention is to construct a knotted tie whichwill be. comfortable to wear. With the above andrelated objects in view,my

3 invention consists in the details of construction and combination ofparts, that will be fully described when the description is read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. l; is a perspective view of a necktie embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded. view of the various elements comprising thenecktie embodying my invention.

45 Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the tie prior to theknot being sewed into its final shape;

50 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear view of the knot portion of the tieafter it has been assembled.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the stiffening member on the upperportion of the front flap.

Fig. '7 is a blank for a modified type of metallic 55 knot.

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the modified type of metallicform. r

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a rear elevational view of the form shown in Fig. 8, whereinthe stitching for holding the form together is shown for purposes ofillustration.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the form with the various elementsassembled thereon. 10:

Fig. 12 is a rear perspective view of the form with the various elementsassembled thereon.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of myinvention which is, also, illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. l5;

Fig. 14 is a view of the necktie showing the metal form and its fabriccovering in section.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, I show in Fig. 1 anassembled necktie embodying my invention. In Fig. 2 is shown the variousele- 20 ments comprising the necktie wherein a front flap, generallydesignated as A, has a fixed portion of the neckband, generallydesignated as B, attached thereto, and a knot element, generallydesignated as C, is attached to the upper portion of the front 25 flap,and a combined neckband portion and rear flap, generally designated asD, is adapted to slide through the knot of the tie.

The front flap or fold A is cut from a large piece of fabric and isformed similar to the front flap of a regular four-in-hand tie, but withthe upper portion of the fold having a stiffening member ID sewedthereto, as is illustrated in Fig. 6. The stiffening member ID iscomprised of a rectangular strip of stiffened cloth. After thestiffening member is attached to the front flap, vertically extendingedges, designated as l2, I4, are brought to abutting position and sewedtogether so that the row of stitches and the seam are on the front sideof the central portion I6 of the flap A, and then the marginal portionsHA, HA which overlap the central portion iii are pressed together sothat the marginal portions 12A, MA overlap and are parallel orconcentric to the central portion l6 of the stiffening member.

The neckband portion B has one end I! sewed to one side of thestiffening member ID after the front flap A is formed, as shown in Fig.4.

Adapted to embrace and cover the outside of the. stiffening cloth I0 isan irregular shaped piece of fabric of the same external appearance asthe fabric forming the outside of the front fold. This piece of fabric Idesignate as the knot C, although the knot really comprises the fabricand the stiffening member ID. The knot C is fastened, as by pasting orsewing, to a thin stiffening fabric (not shown) of irregular form. Theblank of the knot C has a straight bottom edge I8 to which are joinedangularly extending edges 20, 2|. The upper point of edge 20 is joinedby an edge 23 which is inclined towards the vertically extending centralaxis, and a symmetrically formed edge 24 joins the tip of edge 2!. Theedges 20, 23 define a left-hand flap 25, and the edges 2|, 24 define aright-hand fiap 26. The designations left-hand and right-hand refer tothe readers right or left hand as the knot C is viewed in Fig. 2."

Joining the uppermost tip of the edges 23, 24 are marginal edges 21, 28which are vertically extending and slightly inclined towards oneanother. The uppermost tip of marginal edges 21, 28 are joined by anupper edge 29 which is substantially parallel to the lower edge l8. Theedges 21, 28 and 29 define a tab 30 which partially closes the top ofthe knot and, also, frictionally engages the slidable rear flap D. V

The knot C is secured to the front tab or flap A by means of a series ofstitches passing through the sides of the knot C and the stiffeningmember ID. The stiffening member ID is formed in a curvilinear formationby a series of tautly drawn stitches v32 passing through the lowermarginal portions I2A, I4A of'the stiffening member while the edges I2,l4 are abutting one another, this structure being well illustrated inFig. 4.

With the neckband B, the knot C and the stiffening member fastened ashereinbefore described, the rear fiap and neckband D is passed throughthe cavity formed by the stiffening member, the above assemblage beingclearly illustrated in Fig.4. The tab 36 is then pressed into the cavityso that a portion of the edge 28 of the tab contacts a portion of therear flap D, and the edge 2! contacts the neckband B. A series ofstitches 34 securely holds the neckband B and the tab 30 together, whiletwo series of stitches 36, 31 fasten the knot and the stiffening memberI!) together, as is well shown in Fig. 5.

A detachable hook 38 is placed upon the second end 39 of the neckband Band a cooperative eye or loop 40 is placed upon the upper end 4| of theneckband portion D. The hook and eye, or any equivalent structure suchas a separable spring clasp, enable the wearer to unite the ends of eachportion of the neckband together about the users neck, and after theends have been united, the tie may be tightened merely by slipping therear'flap D through the finished knot while the knot is pressed againstthe users neck, so that the tie to all appearances is the same as theconventional four-in-hand tie. The hook and eye may be eliminated fromthe neckband so that the neckband is'a continuous strip of material.

Referring now to Figs. '7 to 14, I disclose a form for a knot which iscomprised of metal or similar rigid material and a mechanical presser toexert a pressure upon the rear flap of the tie. Similar referencedesignations apply to similarly constructed elements as hereinbeforedescribed.

' The metallic form, generally designated as E, provides the foundationfor the knot of the necktie. The form comprises a fiat blank having asubstantially straight bottom edge 44. Short vertically extending edges46, 46A join opposite ends of the bottom edge 44. The left-hand edges ormargins, as the form is viewed in Fig. 7, will first be discussed. Fromthe upper end'of edge '46 is a short horizontal margin 48 which extendsaway from the central vertical axis 49 of the form, for a shortdistance. A margin 50 diverges towards the left as it extends upwardlyfrom an end of the margin 48, and from the uppermost tip of the margin56 a, straight edge 52 extends angularly towards the central verticalaxis of the form. Angularly disposed upwardly with respect to andjoining the straight edge 52 is an edge 54 which is nearly parallel tothe vertical central axis. The right hand border of the form hasmarginal edges 48A, 50A, 52A and 54A which are complemental to the edges48, 56, 52 and 54, respectively, of the left-hand border. A horizontallyextending edge 56 joins the uppermost tip of the edges 54, 54A. The formis, therefore, bounded by the marginal edges hereinbefore set forth. Theedges 54, 54A and 56 define a tab 58 of the form E; and close to thejunction of the edges 56, 54A is an opening 60 for the reception of apin 62. The surface defining the opening 66 is beveled in order to guidethe point of the pin into the opening 60.

A plurality of spaced small holes 64 through the form E are locatedadjacent to the edge 44. A plurality of threads passing through the topedge of a front flap, generally designated as F, and through theopenings 64, as is illustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, retain the flap Fon the form E.

A plurality of spaced holes 66 through the form E are positionedadjacent to the edge 52 for threads to pass therethrough, and thethreads also pass through one end of the neckband portion B.

A small aperture 68 adjacent the edge 56A is located to be aligned withthe opening 60 in the tab 58.

After the blank E is formed, as is illustrated in Fig. '7, a piece offabric G, composed of fabric similar to the fabric from which thenecktie is formed, is fastened, as by paste or glue, to cover the uppersurface and, also, the edges of the form.

The front flap F and the neckband portion B are sewed in position on theform, and then the rear flap and neckband portion D is laid on the rearface of the form E. With the neckband portion D in position, the tab 58is folded downwardly, as is shown in Fig. 9, and the edges 50, 50A arebrought into contact so that the form is curvilinear, as is shown inFigs. 11 and 12.

The neck band portion D may easily slip by the edge 52A on the tabthrough the loop formed by the form E and through the rear recessdefined by the edges 46, 48, 48A and 46A, see Figs. 10 and 12. In orderto retain the neckband element D in adjusted position after the userproperly adjusts the knot of the tie, I provide a pin 62 which may prickthe neckband element D. The pin 62 passes through the aligned holes 60,68 and is drawn forwardly to prick the neckband portion D. A tensionspring 16 has one end at tached to the tab 58 and its other end attachedto the pin 62, whereby the pin will always be urged towards the front ofthe form. However, an expansion spring may be located to replace thetension spring by placing a clip on the pin so that the spring ispositioned between the clip and the rear portion of the form. In suchposition the spring tending to expand will push the pin so that it willprick the neckband portion D. To loosen the pins hold upon the neckbandportion, it is merely necessary to grasp the head of the pin 62 with thewearers fingers and pull the pin to the right as viewed in Fig. 13 whilethe neckband portion D is being simultaneously moved.

In both modifications of my invention, the neckband may be of an elasticmaterial, or a portion of the neckband may be elastic.

, One of the chief advantages of my invention is that a dealer does nothave to stock different sizes of neckties or cravats, since each cravatas completed may be adjusted to fit different persons who wear differentsize collars.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as theinvention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention isto be determined as claimed.

I claim:

1. A cravat comprising a front wide flap, a knot element attached to andsurrounding one end of said fiap, a cover member over thefront of saidknot element, said cover member including a tab extending over the topof said knot element to partially close the same and to provide, inconjunction with said knot element, a pair of openings, a neckbandextending into one of said openings and attached to said knot element,and a rear flap cooperatively associated with said neckband to embracethe neck of a wearer, said rear flap being slidably received within theother of said openings.

2. A cravat comprising a conically-shaped metallic form shaped as thecravat knot, a neckband and a front fiap suitably attached to saidmetallic form, said neckband extended to form a rear fiap and slidablypassing through the interior of said metallic form, a tab having anopening therein and being attached to said metallic form, said formhaving an opening in the rear portion thereof and aligned with saidopening in said tab, a spring pressed pin passing through said openings,and adapted to prick the slidable rear flap.

3. A cravat comprising a front fold, a stiffening member of flexiblematerial encircling the upper portion of said front fold, a neckband,

one end of said neckband being securely attached to said stiffeningmember, said stiffening member being formed into a tube-like shape byhaving stitches holding the adjoining edges together, a rear tab formedwith said neckband and passing through said tube-like stiffening member,and a cover for said stiffening member comprising the same material asthe front fold.

4. A cravat comprising a front fold, a stiffening member of flexiblematerial encircling the upper portion of said front fold, a series ofstitches holding the stiffening member and the front fold. together, astitch or stitches holding the abutting edges of said stiffening membertogether, a knot blank having a frusto-conical portion which fits aboutthe stiffening member and a tab on said knot blank substantially closingthe uppermost portion of said stiffening member, a two-piece neckbandone end of one piece of said neckband being sewed to said stiffeningmember, and the other piece of said neckband passing through the cavitydefined by said stiffening member.

5. A cravat comprising a front fold, a member of flexible materialstiffer than the material of which the front fold is composed, a seriesof stitches holding the stiffening member and the front fold together, astitch or stitches holding the abutting edges of said stiffening membertogether thereby defining a cavity within said stiffening member, a knotblank of the same type of material as the front fold, said knot blankhaving a frusto-conical portion when fitted about said stiffeningmember, a tab on the upper end of said knot blank substantially closingthe uppermost portion of said cavity, a two-piece combined neckband. andrear fold, one end of one piece of said neckband being sewed to saidstiffening member, and the other piece of said neckband and rear foldpassing through the cavity and frictionally engaging said tab wherebythe cravat may be properly adjusted about the neck of the wearer.

ORESTE COSTANTINI.

